Research Article

Symptom Experiences before Medical Help-Seeking and Psychosocial Responses of Patients with Esophageal Cancer: A Qualitative Study

Table 1

Participant characteristics.

Number of participants n = 14 (%)

Age mean (range)65 (47–79)
Sex
 Female2 (14)
 Male12 (86)
Marital status
 Married12 (86)
 Living alone2 (14)
Residential status
 Rural9 (64)
 Urban5 (36)
Education status
 Primary or none6 (43)
 Secondary6 (43)
 Tertiary2 (14)
Smoking behavior
 Current smoker7 (50)
 Ex-smoker3 (21)
 Never smoked4 (29)
Alcohol
 Overconsumptiona8 (57)
Time since diagnosis
 1-2 weeks4 (29)
 2-3 weeks3 (21)
 3-4 weeks7 (50)
Type of pathology
 Adenocarcinoma0 (0)
 Squamous-cell carcinoma14 (100)
Stage
 Stage I2 (14)
 Stage II/III11 (79)
 Stage IV1 (7)
Treatment
 Neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy3 (21)
 Surgery11 (79)

aChinese dietary guideline limit on grams of alcohol for women (men) is 15 (25) grams/day.